No Giannis Antetokounmpo, no problem for the Milwaukee Bucks. At least for now.
This is after the Bucks secured a massive 117-99 victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday despite Giannis being forced to sit out due to a troubling calf injury. It was Damian Lillard and Bobby Portis who led the way for Milwaukee, combining for 59 points to lead the Bucks to a much-needed victory in front of an expectant home crowd.
Milwaukee Bucks News: Bobby Portis Reacts to Big Win Vs. Orlando
Portis got the spot start in this one, and he answered the bell magnificently. The veteran finished with a game-high 30 points on 14-of-18 shooting, to go along with nine rebounds, three assists, five steals, and two triples in 30 minutes of action.
After the game, an elated Portis sounded off on his team’s ability to battle through adversity as they look to navigate the next couple of games without their talisman:
“Man, that’s just been us all year,” Portis said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “You look at the makeup of our team, man, we are really resilient in the things that we do. All season long, guys have been in and out of the lineups, we’ve had to adjust.
“We’ve been through it all this year. Been through a lot of adversity — coaching lineups, lineup changes — you name it, we’ve been through it. So, we’re a battle-tested team, especially over the years, so once a guy goes down, it’s next-man-up mentality. Part of our culture here that Giannis and Khris (Middleton) have helped build and other guys follow suit.”
It is worth noting that Damian Lillard has now been listed as doubtful to play against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, which means that the Bucks could be without their two best players in that crucial matchup.
If Dame ends up sidelined as well, then much of the offensive load will fall on Portis’ able shoulders. Time to step it up again, Bob.
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